Literary birthday greetings: The original Ueck

January 26, 2011

It’s not Kevin Youkilis, but Bob Uecker, who turns 76 today.

I guess it’s a catcher-thing. Perhaps sitting behind the plate, with the whole field out in front of you, you have the perspective for contemplation. That’s why guys like Uecker, Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra (albeit perhaps unwittingly) have such sense of humor. All have published books on their philosophies and observations, with Uecker — who was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson — released Catcher In Wry Can in1982.

I met Uecker in the mid 90s at Shea Stadium when I was working for STATS. He was broadcasting the game for the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and we found ourselves as the only passengers in the elevator after a brutal loss for his team. I felt compelled to say something and end up telling him how much I enjoyed his work, whereupon he thanked me and entered into an expletive-laced tirade about how much his team sucked. True story.

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Tagged as: Bob Uecker, Kevin Youkilis

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